Take all of this with a boulder-sized grain of salt, but keep in mind a Boston Globe report from only a few days ago stating that the Cubs’ ownership had officially asked permission of the Red Sox to speak with their current general manager, Theo Epstein.

According to Paul Sullivan of the Chicago Tribune, a “life-long Cubs fan” named Noah Pinzur is claiming that he spotted and conversed with Epstein on Saturday afternoon at a Starbucks in Lakeview, just a handful of blocks south of Wrigley Field.

Again, none of this has been confirmed in any way, but here’s how that alleged encounter played out:

“Excuse me,” Pinzur asked. “Are you Theo Epstein?”

“No,” replied Epstein (or his lookalike). “I get that a lot.”

After a brief pause, the real or fake Epstein added: “Who is Theo Epstein?”

Pinzur replied: “He’s the guy who may become general manager of the Cubs, or at least we hope.”

“Once he had to ask me who ‘Theo Epstein’ was, I knew it was him,” Pinzur then told the Tribune. “It was clearly him being driven in the direction of Wrigley Field. “It was Theo all right. I’m 99.9 percent sure.”

A report from the Baltimore Sun’s Dan Connolly suggests that free agent catcher Welington Castillo currently tops the Orioles’ list of potential backstop targets for the 2017 season. With Matt Wieters on the market, the Orioles lack a suitable platoon partner for Caleb Joseph behind the dish, and Connolly adds that the club has been discussing a multi-year deal with Castillo’s representatives since the Winter Meetings.

Castillo batted .264/.322/.423 with the Diamondbacks in 2016, racking up 14 home runs and driving in a career-high 68 RBI in 457 PA. His bat provides much of his upside, and Connolly quoted an anonymous National League scout who believes that the 29-year-old’s defensive profile has fallen short of his potential in recent years.

For better or worse, both the Orioles and Castillo appear far from locking in a deal for 2017. Both the Rays and Braves have expressed interest in the veteran catcher during the past week, while the Orioles are reportedly considering Wieters, Nick Hundley and Chris Iannetta as alternatives behind the plate.

Nava began the season on a one-year contract with the Angels, during which he slashed .235/.309/.303 through 136 PA in the first half of 2016. He was flipped to the Royals in late August for a player to be named later and saw the remainder of his year go down the drain on an .091 average through 12 PA in Anaheim. After getting the boot from the Angels’ 40-man roster in November, the 33-year-old outfielder elected free agency.

Nava is expected to compete for a bench role on the Phillies’ roster in the spring. As it currently stands, the club’s projected 2017 outfield features Howie Kendrick and Odubel Herrera, with precious little depth behind them. Nava’s bat is underwhelming, but at the very least he offers the Phillies a warm body in left field and a potential platoon partner for one of their younger options, a la Tyler Goeddel or Roman Quinn.